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How close did bin Laden hunter get?
Last June an American construction worker was picked up in Pakistan on a one-man mission to capture Osama bin Laden.
Gary Faulkner was armed with a dagger, some biblical literature, a pistol, night-vision goggles and a sword, news reports said.
What's more, the man was even on dialysis, CNN reported at the time. And yet somehow he managed to end up in Chitral, a mountainous district in the northern tip of the country.
Chitral  was as logical a place as any to hunt for the most wanted terrorist in the world. News reports in the years since the 9/11 attacks had put bin Laden in fortress-like environs along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Chitral fit the bill. It was connected to the rest of the country by a strip of land so treacherous that it is often closed because of weather conditions.
On Sunday night, Americans received news that bin Laden was killed in his compound in Abbottabad, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
How far off was Faulkner, whose across-the-world trek still remains shrouded in mystery?
Chitral to Abbottabad is roughly about 300 miles, according to Google Maps technology, indicating about a "7-hour" drive. Â Yeah right. To put the distance in perspective, according to Google, the two places are about the same distance as Atlanta, Georgia, to the Florida Panhandle.
Of course, much of the Pakistan route is undriveable because of foothills and mountains. The area is also said to be inhabited by fiercely independent tribes.
While Faulkner has talked to CNN in depth much of the details about his trip remain secret. What we do know is that he wants some of the $25 million reward money that was offered for bin Laden's kill or capture.
"I scared the squirrel out of his hole, he popped his head up and he got capped," Faulkner told ABC News this week, referring to bin Laden's death. "[U.S. officials] were handed this opportunity on a platter from myself," he was quoted as saying.
Faulkner also told ABC that assertions that bin Laden had been holed up in his compound in Abbottabad for more than half a decade were not true.
"He hadn't been living there for no damn six years," he told ABC. "I absolutely flushed him out."
Should Faulkner get a portion of the reward?
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Interesting post. Osama is dead but we seem to keep him alive by spending a whole lot of time talking about this b***t**d. This guy is a moron because he took a trip to Pakisthan and now claims the award. I agree, the Seal team and their kids should be paid money that their services are recognized. Also if any one external was involved in this, I remember Indian agencies said and sharing reports about Osama being either in Karachi or within 75 mile radius of Islamabad ( back in 2007). They should get a share of the bounty, not this moron
Who's crazier...this nutjob or Donald Trump?
I think I deserve some of that $25million too. I kept a look out in my neighborhood and OBL wasn't there.
No reward.Just funding for his dialysis and further funding for his mental health evaluation.
Hey, I got one of the lottery numbers this past weekend. Can I have the jackpot?
Why dont they show us some proof like when they caught Saddam, his sons or when they found Escobar?
Who else here thinks the guy looks like he got tortured while in Pakistan? LOL
And he deserves some of the money for being 700 miles away and a year before the other dude got killed he returns and now wants money?
I don't think this nucklehead asked himself if he actually WAS there like the SEALS were to take care of business.
Gotta love these free riders, now he realizes he is broke after doing something no one forced him to do but not realize he'd have no chance...
cinco de mayo for you Faulkner: estas loco!!!
Are you kidding? Absolutely this guy should get paid off. How can you dispute that he isn't solely responsible for flushing bin laden out? There is no way, therefore we must give him 25 million dollars. He's clearly mentally stable, too.
hahahaha
and Bin Laden before he died, the last words he said were:
I will get back at you Faulkner one day" and then he died....
I agree! I thought his story was sincere. They should give him a medal too!
I agree. Clearly this guy is mentally unstable. His actions last summer speak to this anyway. Now he is delusional and showing he did what he did last year for the money.
Hahahahahaha. Some one just wants free money. I hope he gets nothing. There is no proof he did anything to deserve any reward. He just wants fame and fortune for doing nothing. He made the choice to go "searching" for bin laden. Hahaha.
Please have him committed for 24 hours for serious mental evaluation.
hahahaa.. how ridiculous. The guy was 300 miles away and thinks that he had SOMETHING to do with Bin Laden getting caught?? How crazy is this guy to try and justify that. I doubt Bin Laden saw him coming and was scared then relocated there, or whatever this guy is claiming. Next thing you know he is going to sue McDonalds for hot coffee.
Meet the Faulkner!
How about we take that 25 million, and feed some of our own starving Americans?
way to kill the mood.
Excellent idea! Finally someone with a little common sense!
Totally agree dude!
I agree. Or, they could give another one-time payment to those of us who live on Soc. Sec. Disability and haven't seen a raise for cost-of-living in three years.
This guy is as kooky as they come. He desperately needs professional help before he goes completely off the deep end (teetering on the edge as we speak) and starts seeing Osama's head on the bodies of passersby. Imagine this guy with his samurai sword on your neighborhood streets. They shoud have left him in Pakistan.
Typical trailer park delusional American. Haven't we seen them in their 3-yr. old of thinking?
You mad bro?
I fear for the people who come forward wanting this reward. Remember people, these evil animals are out for revenge and are willing to kill anyone who claims to have taken part in Osama's death. Is money worth more than your life?